At a glance
Rhubarb is one of those crops that rewards minimal effort with consistent, generous production year after year. Plant a crown in autumn or early spring, give it one growing season to establish, and from year two onwards you will have more stems than most households can use from April to July. Forced correctly in January, it produces even earlier – tender, sweeter pink stems up to six weeks ahead of the outdoor season.
It is also genuinely indestructible. I have a Victoria rhubarb crown in my Greater Manchester garden that has survived three harsh winters, a summer of severe drought and occasional complete neglect. It still produces abundantly every spring. Here is how to establish and manage a rhubarb bed that will serve your kitchen for a decade.
Best varieties for UK gardens
| Variety | Season | Stem colour | Flavour and best use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Timperley Early | Very early – Feb-Mar | Pink-red | The best forcing variety, thin sweet stems, ideal for January forcing under a pot |
| Victoria | Mid-season | Green with red tinge | Classic UK variety, very vigorous and reliable, heavier yields than most, good all-round flavour |
| Champagne | Early-mid | Bright red | Beautiful colour, good sweet flavour, excellent fresh or cooked |
| Cawood Delight | Mid-late | Deep red | Very red stems, good disease resistance, extends the season later into summer |
| Stockbridge Arrow | Early-mid | Red | Bred at a Yorkshire research station specifically for UK conditions – reliable in cold northern gardens |
Plant two varieties for a longer season. Timperley Early and Victoria together give you forced stems from January (Timperley), outdoor stems from April (Timperley again) and a continuation through to July from Victoria. The two varieties complement each other perfectly and the combined harvest from two established crowns is more than most families need.
Planting crowns
Plant rhubarb crowns (also called sets or divisions) either in autumn when the plants are dormant (October to November) or in late winter to early spring (February to March) before growth begins. Autumn planting is slightly preferred as the crowns get longer to establish their roots before the growing season.
- 1Choose a sunny or lightly shaded spot Rhubarb tolerates partial shade better than most vegetables but produces thicker, more flavoursome stems in good light. Avoid deeply shaded positions under trees.
- 2Prepare the soil deeply with organic matter Dig to 30cm depth and incorporate a generous amount of well-rotted manure or garden compost – a full barrow per planting hole. Rhubarb is a hungry, long-lived plant and the organic matter you add now feeds it for years.
- 3Plant with the bud just at or slightly above soil level The bud – the pink growing point on top of the crown – must not be buried. Planting too deep is the most common cause of rhubarb failure to establish. The bud sits at or just above soil surface with the roots spread below.
- 4Space crowns at 90cm minimum Rhubarb is a large plant at full size. Crowns planted too close compete and produce thinner stems. 90cm in all directions is the minimum; 1.2m is better for large varieties like Victoria.
- 5Do not harvest in year 1 Allow all stems to develop fully in the first growing season. The plant is establishing its crown and root system. Harvesting in year one weakens it significantly. Light harvesting in year two; full harvesting from year three.
Ongoing care through the seasons
Rhubarb needs very little attention once established. The two things that matter most are removing flower stems promptly and mulching annually.
Flower stems – tall, thick, branching stems that are quite different from the leaf stems – appear in late spring and must be removed immediately when seen. Allow the plant to flower and it will put all its energy into seed production rather than stem growth, significantly reducing your harvest and weakening the crown. Cut flower stems off at the base as soon as they appear.
Apply a generous mulch of well-rotted manure or compost around (not over) each crown every autumn. This feeds the plant, improves soil structure and suppresses weeds. Combined with prompt flower stem removal, this annual mulching is genuinely the only regular care rhubarb needs.
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Forcing for early stems in January
Forcing is one of the most satisfying tricks in the vegetable gardener’s repertoire. By excluding all light from an established rhubarb crown in midwinter, you can trick it into producing tender, sweet pink stems up to six weeks before the outdoor season begins. Forced stems are distinctly different from outdoor stems – paler pink, much more tender and sweeter because the plant produces etiolated growth with higher sugar content.
Place a large pot, bucket or traditional terracotta rhubarb forcer over an established crown (minimum two years old) in January. Weight it down or secure it so no light enters. Within four to six weeks, pale pink stems will have pushed up inside the cover and be ready to harvest. Remove the cover after harvesting and allow the plant to grow normally for the rest of the season – do not force the same crown more than once every two to three years as it depletes the crown significantly.
Dividing to increase your stock
Established rhubarb crowns can and should be divided every eight to ten years as they become large, woody and less productive at the centre. Division also gives you free plants to expand your rhubarb patch or share with other gardeners.
Divide in autumn or early spring. Lift the entire crown with a fork, then cut it into sections with a sharp spade, ensuring each section has at least one healthy bud and a good portion of root. Replant sections immediately at the correct depth and spacing. Divisions from a healthy established crown establish faster than purchased crowns and will produce well from the second season.
Common problems
| Problem | Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| Crown failing to establish after planting | Planted too deep or in waterlogged soil | Replant with bud at surface, improve drainage |
| Thin, poor stems despite established plant | Overcrowding, needs dividing or heavy flowering | Divide crown, remove all flower stems promptly |
| Crown rot | Waterlogged soil over winter | Improve drainage, raise crown slightly above soil level |
| Honey fungus (white mycelium at base) | Armillaria fungal infection | Remove affected crown entirely, do not replant rhubarb in same spot |
Rhubarb is one of the most rewarding long-term additions to a UK kitchen garden. Plant it well, give it its first season to establish and it will give back generously every spring for a decade. For more on long-term productive crops, see our guide on how to grow asparagus UK – another perennial that rewards patience with decades of harvest.
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